Historic voter turnout: Bengal hits 92%, Tamil Nadu 84%

Bengal and Tamil Nadu recorded record voter turnout in Assembly polls amid clashes, attacks on candidates and intense political rivalry. While Bengal neared 92 per cent and Tamil Nadu crossed 84 per cent, counting is scheduled for May 4

Kolkata/Chennai: West Bengal registered a record voter turnout of nearly 92 per cent in the first phase of Assembly polls on Thursday amid sporadic incidents of violence, while Tamil Nadu recorded unprecedented voting of over 84 per cent as the BJP pushed to unseat Mamata Banerjee in Bengal and expand in the South.

In the first phase, 152 constituencies in West Bengal went to polls, while voting for the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly was held in one go. The elections are taking place against the backdrop of a massive political row over the SIR of the electoral rolls, a major flashpoint between the BJP and opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

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In West Bengal, the BJP is eyeing to wrest power from Banerjee-led TMC, which seeks a fourth straight term in a State the saffron party has never governed, and in Tamil Nadu, key contenders are the ruling DMK and main opposition AIADMK, while actor-politician Vijay-led TVK and Tamil nationalist Seeman-led NTK are putting up a determined fight.

Terming the massive voter turnout in Bengal “an overwhelming mandate for change,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that May 4, when votes will be counted, would mark the “expiry” of the “TMC’s 15-year-old syndicate system and maha jungle raj” in West Bengal, while Banerjee asserted that polling held so far in the first phase indicates “the TMC is already in a position to win,” and her party predicts a win in 125-134 seats out of 152 constituencies.

The second phase for the remaining 142 of 294 seats in West Bengal will be held on April 29. The counting for all four States and one Union Territory-Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry – will be on May 4.

Over 90 per cent in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections set the tone for a fiercely contested battle, even as allegations over electoral roll revisions, sporadic violence and duelling political narratives underscored a high-stakes opening round between the ruling TMC and the BJP.

Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the 91.78 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly polls was the State’s “highest-ever percentage since Independence”.

Polling across 152 constituencies in 16 districts remained brisk through the day, with long queues at booths, particularly in rural belts, reflecting intense mobilisation by both camps in what is being seen as a crucial early test of strength.

The high participation in Bengal came against the backdrop of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which saw over 91 lakh names deleted statewide – an exercise that has moved to the centre of the political contest, shaping both campaign rhetoric and voter perception.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is camping in the state, visited the BJP’s election control room at Salt Lake during polling hours and reviewed the situation with party leaders, signalling the premium the party has placed on Phase-1, particularly in north Bengal. He is expected to remain in the state till April 27, the last day of campaigning for the second phase.

Compared with the 2021 Assembly elections, when turnout ranged between 79 and 86 per cent across phases, the current figures mark a sharp spike in voter turnout in West Bengal, though the SIR-linked contraction of the electorate complicates direct comparisons. In 2021, the BJP won 59 of these 152 seats against the TMC’s 93.

Reports of clashes, allegations of intimidation and attacks on candidates-including two from the BJP-from several constituencies prompted the Election Commission to seek detailed reports even as it maintained that polling in West Bengal was “largely peaceful.” A record 2,450 central paramilitary companies, comprising nearly 2.5 lakh personnel, have been deployed across the state for the polls, with over 8,000 polling stations identified as highly sensitive.

In Tamil Nadu, the contest is primarily between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance against the AIADMK-led NDA. Chief Minister M K Stalin centred his campaign around the “Dravidian Model” of governance and accused the AIADMK of being controlled by the BJP in Delhi. AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami is fighting to return to the treasury benches after five years.

Tamil Nadu registered 73.63 per cent voting in 2021. It recorded its highest voter turnout –78.29 percent- in the 2011 assembly polls, which the AIADMK swept.

Incidentally, through the SIR, the electorate size has been reduced from 6.41 crore recorded in October 2025 to the current 5.73 crore. Consequently, the 2021 polls saw about 6.29 crore people registered, 56 lakh voters more than this year. Attributing the surge in voter turnout in Tamil Nadu to the Election Commission’s reforms, BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy said the high polling percentage across the state reflects a robust democratic spirit and signals a confident path to victory for the NDA.

“The full credit to SIR. Hats off to the Election Commission. We have seen in Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and now Pondicherry and now in Tamil Nadu. So, full credit to them,” Thirupathy told PTI Videos.